Ballast

[glencairn]

I too use Woodland Scenics when ballasting, but I must be one of the few who does not use PVA. It is just dry ballast.

Glencairn

[Walkingthedog]

I paint my ballast so the colour is irrelevant.

[Puddles]

Does any one else leave ballast unglued ?

[RogerB]

Personally I would always glue it down.

I say that because in the past I have, in error, missed a short stretch that disappeared when I hoovered the track. Very annoying when you have to ballast the same stretch again.

R-

[Steve M]

Always glue and paint. And once it’s all dry Hoover up any loose bits - just one bit of ballast in the ‘works’ and that expensive loco you’ve just bought is knackered.

20181230_185217 by Steve Mumford, on Flickr

[Walkingthedog]

I always glue it down. Saves it disappearing inside the vacuum cleaner or a loco.

[Brian]

Does any one else leave ballast unglued ?

Goodness No. Unless you want to replace some or all of your locos sooner than necessary!

[alanto6]

I never glue ballast but then again i dont use it,I use bird grit seived into 2 pile,coarse and fine,the fine fo the four foot and coarse for everwhere else,take a look at my layout pics,the grit is multi coloured and resembles proper ballast

[Walkingthedog]

Well I hope you glue the bird grit.

[LC&DR]

Ballast colour can be variable depending on its source and age.

Fresh ballast will usually have a colour depending upon the quarry it comes from and type of stone it is made of.

I have seen pink, green/grey, dark grey, yellow/white and blue/grey in different places.

At places where trains are braking the ballast quickly becomes brown. as too does the landscape nearby. This is caused by hot iron dust thrown up by friction from the brake shoes and wheel treads, it etches into paintwork and window glass.

At places like signals and the end of platforms the ballast soaks up oil, ash, sand and general rubbish until it forms a shiny black sludge. Locomotive stabling and servicing points are similarly affected.